Robert Muldoon

Robert Muldoon (25 September 1921-5 August 1992) was Prime Minister of New Zealand from 12 December 1975 to 26 July 1984, succeeding Bill Rowling and preceding David Lange. He was a member of the New Zealand National Party.

Biography
Robert Muldoon was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 25 September 1921, and he made his early career in accountancy, becoming president of the Institute of Cost Accountants in 1956. In 1960 he entered politics as a member of the New Zealand National Party and was elected to the House of Representatives. Never received with enthusiasm, he commanded great respect and credibility, which were crucial assets given the economic crisis that had arisen from Norman Kirk's government. This ensured he gained the party leadership in 1974, and victory in the 1975 general elections, when he became Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. His years in office were a difficult time for the New Zealand economy. Oil prices had risen steeply in 1973 and the traditional market in Britain for New Zealand farm and dairy produce was reduced by Britain's entry into the EEC. Muldoon tried to overcome these problems through state intervention by introductingg price controls and farm subsidies. His foreign policy reversed the anti-nuclear and anti-racist policies of his predecessors. In an attempt to revive ANZUS, he welcomed US warships in New Zealand even if they carried nuclear warheads. Declaring that sport and politics should be kept separate, he revived the sporting links with South Africa which had been broken by Kirk, despite calls by the African National Congress for a boycott. His party suffered a significant defeat at the hands of the New Zealand Labor Party in a 1984 snap election, and he was forced to devalue the New Zealand dollar before leaving office.